Serving Hutchinson, MN and surrounding areas
In business since 1955
Free estimates
"He seemed knowledgeable and business like so I hired him. When his crew came to do the work, he introduced me to the workers who would be doing the actual installation including one of his sons. He made sure when the introductions were made; his son gave me a good firm handshake and looked me straight in the eye. As the mother of four children I was impressed with the way Jon was teaching business communication skills to his child.
My property in Minnetonka is built on soil that has a large clay component. This factor has caused many problems for homeowners in my area because the instability of the land. Pietig and Sons carefully prepared the underlying surface. Within a year, two small sections were not weathering well and had cracked. Jon came to take a look, determined that what was happening was unacceptable and not up to his standards. He replaced them – at no cost to me.
The person doing the replacement work did a masterful job of removing the damaged sections, properly preparing the area and then calling for a cement mixer truck delivery when he was ready to install the concrete. When the large truck arrived he carefully used a wheelbarrow to deliver the concrete to the area and carefully blended the sections together. All seemed perfect.
Something strange happened within a few years. The sections that had been replaced were not holding up well. A concrete company, doing work for another homeowner in my area, came to take a look. He admired the work that had been done and complimented the skill of the craftsman who had done the job. Then he asked a question. He inquired about the concrete supplier and asked if I remembered the name on the truck that had delivered the product? He then proceeded to tell me a story that was the basis for his question and explained what he was sure was happening.
He told me he had once been a foreman on a huge concrete product for a hotel parking lot. Several years after the installation of the lot, the concrete began to chip and flake. The hotel’s attorneys filed a lawsuit against his company to recover the money they had paid him. They claimed the work he had done was inferior. He had worked h****** that project, was proud of the work he had done and was personally devastated because his skill and honesty had been called into question. After a lengthy investigation, it was determined shale had been added to the concrete mix delivered for his project. This had caused the driveway to “pop” and disintegrate. Claims and damages filed against the supplier were eventually settled and his work was vindicated. Sure enough, it was the same large concrete supplier that had delivered the product to my home. Shale “pops” were also evident in those two apron sections that had been replaced.
Even though those sections had already been replaced once, when Jon reviewed some photos I sent to him and heard the story about the other company’s experience, he said, “We will replace those sections again. It is the morally correct thing to do – I stand by my work.” He was also gracious enough to say that because the cement supply contractor was so large, it is not always possible to monitor every worker and batch of concrete mix. He realized that even in the finest companies, bad things could happen. What separates Jon’s thinking from others is his resolve to take responsibility and do right by his clients. If only his ethical standards could be taught to every business owner and to every business student!
So, fellow homeowner, if you are considering having any concrete work done at your home or business, I’d like to recommend Harold Pietig and Sons. This is a company that isn’t satisfied until the customer is completely satisfied. From the admirable way Jon chooses to pass along life lessons to his sons to the ethical way in which he treats his customers, I cannot recommend this company highly enough. I feel so fortunate to have hired Harold Pietig and Sons to do work at my home. This is a company that stands by its work and takes moral responsibility for running a business with the greatest integrity.
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